Rebellion and Realism in “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning”: Arthur Seaton and the Working-Class Voice
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Alan Sillitoe’s Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1958) stands as a landmark novel that gives voice to the British working-class youth in post-war years. The novel was quickly embraced as part of the "Angry Young Men" movement and brought immediate success to the author. Centered around Arthur Seaton, a young factory worker in Nottingham, the novel combines gritty realism with a spirit of rebellion. Arthur’s character expresses frustration, defiance, and a desire for freedom—feelings shared by many in his generation. The novel’s significance lies in its unflinching portrayal of working-class existence and its challenge to the conventions of both society and literature at the time.
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